Key-responsive recording



3 K 3f@ DVNTVWWNH gg '1 v 'f 'f 7 303 May l1, 1954 J. L. HuTToN 2,678,160

KEY-RESPONSIVE RECORDING CALCULATOR Filed Dec. 19, 1949 INVENTOR JAMES L. HUTTON Flc-w v BY/WM/an Patented May ll, 1954 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE KEY-RE SPONSIVE RECORDING CALCULATOR This invention relates to improvements in computing machines and generally relates to improvements in computing machines, the subject of my pending applications Serial No. 731,799 and Serial No. 82,161 (now abandoned). A primary object of this invention is to complete or carry out the various functions with a more simplified and improved mechanism incorporating novel features and also providing a more economical machine from the manufacturing viewpoint.

A further object of this improvement is to providel a computing machine which involves a carrying or transferring mechanism actuated directly by the same mechanism which transfers the digits from the keyboard to the accumulating dials.

Another object of this improvement is to provde a printing mechanism for a computing machine which will enable a predetermined gure or amount to be printed through the use of a preset, selective, printing segment for printing true digits.

Still a further object of this improvement is to provide a carrying device so designed as to permit a carry or series of carries to be accomplished during the time that the keyboard energized selectors are rotating the accumulating dials, either in a positive or negative operation.

For a more complete understanding of the invention, reference is made to the accompanying drawings and specication, wherein like reference characters denote like parts.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a sectional side elevation view generally taken between the units and tens column of a mechanism showing the selection and carry parts with their essential associated members.

Figure 2 is a side elevation of some of the parts shown in Figure 1 to disclose more clearly the selector assembly.

Figure 3 is a partial, enlarged view of the mechanism shown in Figure 1, taken along line 3 3, looking in the direction of the arrows.

Figures l, 2 and 3 disclose the essential working section of a computing machine constructed in accordance with the invention. Through this construction, addition and subtraction both are performed directly from the true key numerals without the use of complements, and carries, either positive or negative, are accomplished simultaneously with the movement of the selec-- tion, registering and recording members.

The mechanism illustrated permits the printing of the individual amounts set up on the keyboard Without requiring any special timing or holding bails at the time the carries are made, because the carry movements have absolutely no eliect on the printing setting levers. 1n other words, the printing segments are set by trigger bars which are controlled directly by the keys of the keyboard. The selection parts receive their actions and movements by tripping said trigger bars but, on the other hand, the trigger bars are never affected by the selection parts once the differential position of said bar has been set by a depressed key, regardless of the carries that take place during the transaction.

The size of the keyboard, or the distance between the keys of the keyboard is not limited to the size of the gear pitch of the selectors, thereby allowing reduction in size of the selection parts and increase in size of the keyboard, which is a great advantage in arriving at a more desirable and balanced design for the machine.

Another feature of this construction is that the depression of any key or keys directly causes all of the selection parts and the carry parts to perform and complete their movements without the aid of any other actuating members. Therefore, the restoring bail of this mechanism has the purpose of merely restoring the selection parts and actuating the printing device.

As shown in the drawings, this latter improved construction is easily adapted to an electrically energized keyboard which permits the operation of this machine in a manner similar to other key-driven machines known in the art but, as compared to other present day machines this construction is greatly simplified, and requires a considerably smaller number of parts to perform and attain the same results and even oier greater features and advantages.

The keyboard shown in Figure l is basically the same as the one described and illustrated in my pending application Serial No. 731,799. It comprises a trigger type key assembly 3|0 working in relation with a trigger bar 3l2. A top plate 307, bottom plate 308 and two end bars 369 and 399e, form the supporting structure of the keyboard. The key assembly 3I0 (Figure 3) is composed of a main body stem 310e, a hook-like member 3H pivotally and slidably mounted on stem Sla through a shouldered rivet 313 fastened to stem 3|0a. A compression spring 3M' coiled around stem 3I0a holds the key assembly in an upward position as shown in Figures 1 and 3 by exerting a pressure on shoulder 3I0b of the key stern and also on the lower edge 3| ia of the top section of hook member 3l l. Latching surface 3l Ib of hook 3H lies at a point near a trigger bar 312,

in readiness for engagement with said bar, upon the depression of the key. At the start of the downward movement of the key stein, hook 3| ib is swung under trigger bar 3 l 2 through the action of cam surface 3| ic camming against the end of the slot in plate 308 through which member 3H slides. As hook 3| lb is cammed under bar 3|2, the bottom surface 3|0c of stem 3|3c. comes in contact with the top edge of trigger bar 3|2 and exerts a downward push thereto. The downward travel of hook member 3| is halted by a shoulder 3||c coming in contact with plate 338. When member 3|| reaches its downward limit the key stem 3||1a is free to travel an additional amount, equal to the length of slot 3| Id the upper end of which abuts the rivet 3|3 during depression of the key assembly 3 0 by the trigger bar 3 l 2. Further manual depression of key stem 3||lc at this time causes cam tab 3||ld thereon to cam a slide 30|] rearward on top of plate 301, a distance sufficient to cause a pairof electrical contact points 30| and 302 to make Contact and thereby energize the working mechanism through driving means such as are disclosed in my pending application Serial No. 82,161. Each row of keys has its own contact making slide 333 and individual pair of contact points 30|- and 332. However, all contact points of onepole could be integral parte of a single strip of electrical conducting material. At the time cam 3 |0d contacts slide 33e, all oi the selection parts have completed their movement and are ready to be restored. Therefore, the closing of the electrical circuit at this time merely energizes the restoring mechanism.

The trigger bar 3|2 is pivotally mounted on shaft 322 and extends forward directly under the key stems as shown in Figures l and 3. The forward portion of said bar has a downwardly extending arm 3|2a, the purpose of which is to actuate the printing segment 303. The top edge 3|21-b of bar 3|2 is straight and lies parallel with the ends of the key stem 3|a. The lower edge 3 |20 of said bar 3|2 is irregular and all the points of said edge, which lie in alignment with the hooks 3|Ib, are calculated and located so as to allow a predetermined downward tra-vel of bar 3|2 in relation to each individual key. That is, the number 4 key for example, will allow bar 3|2 to travel downward four times the distance that the number 1 key would allow. The number 7 key, seven times, etc.

Combination selector latching and trigger bar actuating member 33| is pivotally and slidably mounted through slot 33|e on shaft 322, adjacent to bar 3|2, and extends forward. The forward end of latch member 33| terminates into a latching finger 33|a forming a right angle with said member at a seat 320d formed at the bottom edge of a selector plate 320, and beyond which the bottom edge of plate 320 extends forwardly and downwardly to provide a cam surface 320i). At a point between nger 33m and shaft 322, the member 33| is slidably mounted through a slot 33|b on a pin 3|2d which is securely fastened to arm 3|2. Directly below slot 33|?) is a downwardly extending leg 33 Ic employed for restoring purposes. A portion of arm 3| extends to the rear of shaft 322 and terminates into a latching step 33|d.

It can readily be seen that, whenever arm 3|2 is pushed downward, latch 33| will consequently be brought down with it through the action of pin 3|2d. As latch finger 33m leaves its seat 320a on selector plate 320, said latch will be cammed downward and follow cam surface 32% until arm 3|2 comes to a stop according to whichever key was depressed. Released latch 33| is cammed downward by the rearward pull applied to selector plate 32|) by spring 330. Selector plate 320 is slidably mounted on shafts 32| and 322 and allowed to slide rearward and forward through slots 320e and 320d with any rearward overtravel prevented by a restoring bail 334 which is disposed in the path of the downwardly extending selector plate surface 320D.

Two selection racks 3|5 and 3|6 are also slidably mounted on shafts 32| and 3|'|, up against the side of selector plate 320 one on each side thereof. Bothl selector racks are identical but rack 3|6, which is mounted on the left side of selector plate 320, is in an inverted position in relation to rack 3|5. Two latches 3|8 and 3|9 arepivotally mounted on plate 320 at BIB@ and 3|9a. Latch 3|8 is on the left side of plate 320 and is in vertical alignment with the top edge of rack 3|6. Latch 3|9 is similar to latch 3|8 but is mounted in an inverted position in relation to latch 3|8 on the right hand side of plate 32 3, and in vertical alignment with the lower edge of rack 3|5.

The rear supporting rod 311 for racks 3|5 and 3 I 5 is part of a movable control bail 332 to which may be imparted up and down movement for the purpose of raising and lowering said racks simultaneously, into or out of mesh with dial 323. Rod 3I`| has two positions only. The lowered position, as shown in Figures 1 and 2 for addition, and the raised position for subtraction.

Each rack has a latch engaging notch 3|5a and 3|6a. When bail rod 3|1 is lowered, latch 3|9 becomes engaged with notch 3|5 in selector rack 3|5. When rod 3|1 is raised latch 3|8 then becomes engaged with selector 3|6. It can be seen that through this arrangement one selector or the other has to be in engagement with its related latch. Each latch has a spring 3HE?) and 3|9b forcing said latches toward each other, their movement being limited by two stop pins 3|8c and 3|9c. rlhe notch engaging points of latches 3|B and 3|9 are far enough apart to allow only one of the racks to be engaged with its respective latch, but on the other hand, said points are close enough to each other to prevent both racks from being disengaged at the same time. Both racks are slidable rearward and forward but, through the above latch arrangement, only one rack at a time can ever be imparted movement. In other words both racks are slidable rearwardly but they will never slide simultaneously. Whichever rack is out of engagement with its latch is always held in its home position by its relative spring 335 for rack 3|$ and spring 331 for rack 3|5. One end of each spring is hooked to a tab extending from the edge of the selector rack and the other end hooked to the stationary shaft 32|.

By the above description it can readily be seen that, whenever plate 32|]` is released through the depression of a key and bar 3|2, said plate 320 will travel rearward and bring with it rack 3|5 since the latter is engaged with latch 3|9. rEhe amount of rearward travel of plate 320 is controlled and predetermined by the depression of a chosen key on the keyboard. For instance, by depressing the number 3 key on the keyboard, plate 32|) is released and allowed to travel rearward a distance equal to three spaces or teeth on rack 3|5. The downward movement of latch 33| is limited through the action ofV bar 3|2 and the key depressed. The angle of cam surface 320I) is iigured and positioned so as to work in relation with and in proportion to the downward movement of latch nger 33|c. Latch 33|a swings in an arc from shaft 322 and is free to swing downward nine equal spaces or steps in addition to the initial unlatching step. Trigger bar 3|2 serves a double purpose. First, it serves as a trigger to release latch linger 33|a vfrom its seat 32 0a on selector plate 320 and second, it serves as a limit or a stop for latch 33|c at the time it (bar 3|2) reaches its lowest travelling point in engagement with the hook 3||b of a depressed key. Since bar 3|2 swings in a downward arc around shaft 322, and since the keys working on said bar lie at different intervals from shaft 322 in relation to said bar it is hereby evident that a, compensation has to be made to overcome the different distances existing between shaft 322 and every one of the keys. This connection or compensation is acquired through the irregularity of the lower edge of bar 3| 2' in relation to the hooks 3| lb of the keys. Whenever a key is depressed, a portion of the downward travel of the key and more specically the first portion thereof is utilized for placing hook 3| lb underneath bar 3|2 and for bringing latch 33|c out of its latched position. After latch 33 la moves out of its seat 320a, spring 330 pulls selector plate 320 rearward thereby causing said latch 33|c to be cammed downward along cam surface 3205 until bar 3|2 reaches its downward limit which is governed by the depressed key. Notice should be taken at this time that after releasing latch 33|, the movement of bar 3|2, latch 33|, selector plate 320, rack 3| 5 and dial 328 is entirely dependent upon the rearward pull of spring 330.

The length and angle of cam surface 320i) is calculated in accordance with the total rearward travel of plate 320 and the total length of the downward stroke of bar 3| 2 and latch 33|. Plate 320 and bar 3|2 both have nine different stopping positions, one for every key. Every stopping place represents one tooth or space on racks 3|5 and 3|6. Since hook 3||b and bar 3|2 become engaged, the downward travel of said bar 3|2 is halted whenever shoulder 3| le (Figure 3) strikes plate 308 of the keyboard.

The downward extending arm 3|2a of bar 3|2 terminates in a camming surface 3|2e which acts upon and causes rotating movement to printing segment 303 by contacting a cam pin 303a. The gap between cam surface 3|2e and cam pin 303a represents the amount of downward travel of bar 3|2 required to unlatch member 33| from its seat.

The movement of segment 303, therefore, is not affected until the time when the selection parts begin their differential displacement. The locations of cam surface 3|2e and pin 303a are calculated, in relation to their arcs of movement, to differentially adjust the printing segment 303 in correspondence with the differential displacement of bar 3|2 and plate 320. The printing device disclosed in Figure 1 is operated and controlled in a manner similar to my printing device described in my above noted pending applications Serial No. 731,799 and Serial No. 82,161. In Figure 1 portions of the type aligner 258 and firing platen 256 are shown as a matter of reference.

To accomplish an addition problem, for example 55-1-88, the amount 55 is entered in the keyboard by depressing the number 5 key in both the units column and the tens column. Both digits of the amounts may be entered simultaneously, or separately and/or from left to right or right to left. The same situation exists at the time of entering the next amount which is 88.

As explained above, selector plate 320 starts its rearward pull immediately upon releasing latch 33| through the depression of a key. Bail 332 is down (for addition) and latch 3|9 is engaged with rack 3 I5. It can readily be seen, that since latch 3|!) is fastened to plate 320, rack '3|5 will consequently move rearward along with said plate 320 through the action of said latch. The rack 3|5 in both the units and tens column will advance rearward ve teeth, thereby, rotating` their related dials an equal number of teeth toI register the amount 55 in said dials. Rack 3|| is held in its normal or home position by spring 335 during the rearward travel of plate 320 and; rack 3| 5.

At the time the selection parts come to a stop the shoulders 3| ie of the depressed keys are down against plate 308. The next operation is to depress one of the key stems an additional amount through slot 3| Id which will cause cam slide 300 to be cammed rearward and close contact points 30| and 302 thereby energizing the restoring controls.

Normally restoring lbail 334 stands at a rearward distance from arm 33|c and heel 320D greater than the total rearward travel of heel 3201). This allows a small amount of free forward travel of bail 334` at the start of its forward travel. During said small amount of free travel means are provided to cam bail 332 upward thereby throwing rack 3 5 out of mesh with dial 328. By doing so rack 3|6 will consequently move up into mesh with dial 3218 to serve as a retainer and prevent any movement of the dials during the restoring of the selection parts. At the end of the restoring operation, bail 332 is again reset to its lowered position as shown in Figures 1 and 2. The raising and lowering of bail 322 can be accomplished in the manner shown in my above noted pending applications in regards to reversing controls for addition and subtraction. As the selection parts are being restored and, more specifically, as bar 3|2 moves upward through spring 3188 the key assembly will be forced upward through spring 3|4. Near the end of the upward movement of the key assembly the supper surface 3| |e of hook member 3H will come in contact with top plate 301 and through the upward push of spring 3 I4 said hook member 3| will be imparted a rotating movement around rivet 3|3 thereby causing hook 3||b to resume its normal position as shown in Figure 3.

The second amount of the problem which is 88 is now entered in the keyboard in the same manner as the rst amount. The functions and movements of the selection parts in this case are the same as above. In addition to said functions and movements, it is evident that two carries will have to take place. One from the units to the tens column and one from the tens to the hundreds column.

The arrangement of the carry levers is such that every carry lever extends from its relative dial to the carrying device in the column to the left thereof when viewed from the top. As it appears in Figure 1, carry lever 323 is rotatably mounted on a rod 336 with its forward extending arm terminating in a latching linger 326s forming a right angle therewith and engaging the latch member 33| of the tens order. For the sake of clarity, the yrear upwardly extending ar-m 326D of carry lever 3.25 Vhas been omitted, since it does not come in contact with the tens idial carry finger 329 vlshown in Figure l. However, a shadow outline of arm 326D has been illustrated to show its relative position 'in regards to `carry finger 329 and the bail rod 24411.

Returning to the yaddition problem, it `.can `be seen, that when the two .dials 'containing the amount 55 are rotated eight more teeth, ltheir carry lingers 329 will come in contact with -and cam the carry levers 32B out rof engagement with the latch members 33t of higher order. As previously explained latch 'member 33t is free `to move longitudinally through its slots 33th and 33 le a distance equal to one tooth on one of the selector gear racks. It is hereby evident 'that whenever carry lever 326 is ytripped out of lengagement with latch member 33| the latter will be advanced to its rearward limit through the action of selector plate 32 and spring 330. (The same Vaction takes place whenever `a tens transfer occurs with 'or without digi-tation of selector plate 320 and rack 3l5.) .In this problem thecarry takes place at the very moment that the units dial is rotated live of the eight places that it has to rotate. In other words, the differential displacement of the selection mechanism as controlled by the keyboard and the added increment imparted by a tens carry are accumulatedsimultaneously as a single movement.

The extra rearward movement of plate 32!) and latch 32H in the event of a carry has absolutely no effect on the downward movement of trigger bar 312, therefore, it is evident that nothing but the true keyboard amount will ever be transferred to the .printing segments regardless of any carry or carries taking plate. This construction consequently eliminates the necessity of the conventional timing and holding .means to prevent carries from taking place prior to the printing operation.

The above mechanism works generally the same `for subtraction, with the exception that inV this case, bail 332 is normally held in a raised position, rather than a lowered position -as previously describe-d, through any well known control lever arrangement which is set prior to `a subtraction operation.

Although the foregoing 'discloses the invention it is not intended for said invention to be limited to the above description and accompanying drawings as this device covers a wide scope and `a study thereof will reveal an unlimited range of modications and improvements which are apparent.

I claim as my invention:

l. In a Acalculating machine having a keyboard and an accumulator, differential actuators controlled by said keyboard and biased for movement from a normal home position to actuate said accumulator, latching means normally holding each of said actuators at said home po-y sition, said latching means being settable by an operated key of said keyboard to release the corresponding actuator from said home position and to intercept said actuator at a position corresponding to the value of the operated key, and tens transfer means operated by an adjacent order of said accumulator to release said latching means and corresponding actuator for limited supplemental actuating movement from Vsaid home position to register a tens transf-er in said accumulator at the order of said Ioperated key either before or after operation of said key.

2. 'In a calculating machine having --a keyboard and an accumulator, differential `actuators `controlled by said keyboard and biased for movement from a normal latched position to *actuate said accumulator, latching means for 'each of said actuators normally holding said actuators at said latched position, each of said Vlatching means being settable by an operated rkey of the corresponding order in said keyboard to release the corresponding'actuator from said latched position and to 'intercept said actuator at a position `corresponding to the value of the operated key, and tens transfer means operated by -a'n adjacent order of `said accumulator to release said la-tching means with the corresponding actuator for limited supplemental actuating movement from either said latched position "or said intercepted position to register a tens transfer in said accumulator at the order of said operated key either 4before or after operation of said key.

3. In a calculating machine having a keyboard and an accumulator, differential actuators controlled yby said keyboard and biased for movement from a normal latched position to actuate said accumulator, va pvoted trigger bar for each of said actuators, latching means for each v'of said actuators carried `by said trigger 'bars 4"for pivoting movement therewith and for 'limited sliding movement independently thereof in the direction in which said actuators are biased, each of said actuators vbeing formed with `a latching seat and with an adjacent cam surface, each of said latching means normally yengaging said actuators at said latching seat and thereby holding said actuators at said latched position, each of said trigger bars being pivotable by an operated key of the corresponding order in said keyboard to release the latching means for the corresponding actuator and thereby allow movement of said actuator from said latched position, said trigger bars also being settable by said operated key for disposing the released latchi-ng means for abutment by the cam surface Vof said actuator at a position intercepting said actuator after movement corresponding to the value of said operated key, and tens transfer means operated by an adjacent order of said accumulator` to release said latching means independently for said limited sliding movement with ksaid actuator to register a tens transfer in said accumulator at the order of said operated key.

4. 'In a calculating machine having a keyboard and an accumulator, the structure dened in claim 3 and further rcharacterized in thatY a printing segment is pivoted adjacent veach of said trigger bars with a printing face formed thereon concentrically with the segment axis, said print'- ing segments being pivotally settable by said trigger bars in 'relation to the key operated pivoted setting of said bars for thereby disposing the printing faces of said segments to print a value corresponding to an operated key.

5. 1n a calculating machine having a keyboard and an accumulator, the structure 'dened in claim 3 and further characterized in that a pair of oppositely disposed rack elements is 's'lidably` assembled with each of said actuators and independently biased for retention at said latched position, shifting means is provided for selectively engaging one of said rack elements with said accumulator, and means is carried by said actuators for latching the accumulator engaged 'rack element for actuating movement therewith, the other rack element being disposed to engage said accumulator to hold a registered value therein upon disengagement of said i'st rack element for restoring said actuator to said latched position.

6. In a calculating machine having a keyboard and an accumulator, the structure defined in claim 3 and further characterized in that an order of keys is provided in said keyboard corresponding to each of said trigger bars, said keys each comprising a stem disposed to bear on the corresponding trigger bar for pivoting the same upon operation and an opposed hook element disposed oppositely With respect to said trigger bars for limiting the pivoting movement thereof in correspondence with the value of an operated key, and said keys each being biased toward a normal non-operated position, the bias of said keys serving to cushion the interception of said actuators.

7. In a calculating machine having a keyboard and an accumulator, the structure defined in claim 3 and further characterized in that said machine also includes means for restoring a released actuator to said latched position, a pair of normally open electrical contacts for controlling operation of said restoring means, an order of keys in said keyboard corresponding to each of said trigger bars with each key comprising a stem disposed to pivot the corresponding trigger bar and thereby release the corresponding actuator upon initial operation of the key, a slide for each order of said keys in said keyboard, each slide being arranged in relation to the stems of all the keys in the corresponding order and being disposed for sliding movement in relation to said pair of electrical contacts between a norn mally maintained position corresponding to the normally open condition of said contacts and a displaced position at which said slide causes said contacts to close, and each key stem being formed with a cam tab disposed to engage the corresponding slide and cause sliding movement thereof to said displaced position upon further operation of an initially operated key.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 368,528 Grant Aug. 16, 1887 945,601 Quentell et al Jan. 4, 1910 989,367 Seitter Apr. 11, 1911 1,011,156 Chase Dee. 12, 1911 1,051,904 McCarthy Feb, 4, 1913 1,138,793 Rinsche May 11, 1915 1,202,800 Carroll Oct. 31, 1916 1,327,318 Gooch Jan 6, 1920 1,358,427 Ekman Nov. 9, 1920 2,042,342 Kaiser May 26, 1936 2,552,789 Hopkins May 15, 1951 2,569,804 Deutsch Oct. 2. 1951 2,623,695 Cho Dec. 30, 1952 2,654,539 Brubaker Oct. 6. 1953 

